Multiple accidents in Middlesex County

Published 12:00 am, Monday, August 8, 2011

It was a deadly and dangerous day on the roads in Middlesex County on Monday afternoon, with at least five separate accidents - one fatal - reported in the area within three hours.

A Wallingford man was killed in a single-car crash on Route 9 in Essex around 2:40 p.m.

State police said Kurt Anderson, 41, was traveling north on Route 9 south of Exit 3 when he lost control of his pickup truck and struck a tree in the wooded highway median.

Anderson was pronounced dead at the scene due to blunt force trauma. State police Sgt. Sal Calvo said Anderson's wife was traveling a short distance behind Anderson with the couple's eight-year-old daughter in the car, and stopped and saw the crash.

"It was sad," Calvo said. "Very sad."

Calvo said State Police Troop F in Westbrook is investigating the crash. Anyone who may have witnessed it is urged to call Trooper Dan Pederson at (860) 399-2100.

Two people were sent to the hospital for treatment after a crash on I-91 south by exit 20 around 1:56 p.m., police said.

A Kenworth truck driven by Samuel Burrow was broken down in the slow lane of the four lane roadway when a Nissan Murano driven by Roger Sitler, of Middletown hit the back of his truck. Police said Sitler was trying to change lanes when he hit the truck.

Both vehicles were damaged and had to be towed from the scene. Sitler was issued an infraction for following to close, according to police report.

The accident happened in the same area where New Haven Register sports columnist Dave Solomon was killed in a single-car accident Saturday evening.

Another crash snarled traffic on the Arrigoni Bridge during rush hour, after a Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck slammed into the rear of a Nissan Rogue SUV.

Portland police Lt. Ron Milardo said both vehicles were traveling east near the center of the bridge at 4:28 p.m.

The driver of the Chevrolet told police he was looking at the construction work that has two lanes of the bridge closed, and when he looked forward again, the Nissan had stopped, Milardo said. The driver of the truck, Michael Strid, 29, of Portland, was unable to stop in time and struck the Nissan.

Middletown and Portland police, along with the Middletown fire department, responded to the crash, as did Hunter's Ambulance. Traffic was stopped in both directions so emergency crews could get to the accident.

The driver of the Nissan, Wendy Latuch, 56, of Middle Haddam, reported pain in her neck and back, and was taken to Middlesex Hospital for treatment.

Rush hour traffic was backed up in both directions and along the southbound portion of Route 9. But because it was rush hour, Milardo said, wreckers were stationed on the bridge, and the trucks were able to quickly move the two damaged vehicles out of the way. Both sustained moderate to heavy damage, he said.

Strid was issued a written warning for following too closely.

Milardo estimated the bridge was closed for between 20-30 minutes. Once it was reopened, Milardo said it took roughly the same amount of time for the traffic to get back to normal.

A motorcyclist escaped serious injuries in Cromwell when a car exiting from the post office on Main Street pulled in front of her just before 2:30 p.m., police said.

The female motorcyclist was traveling south on Main Street when the car pulled out in front of her, Capt. Edwin L. Kosinski Jr., said. Seeing the developing danger, the motorcyclist laid down her bike on the pavement, thereby avoiding a collision, Kosinski added.

The driver of the car pulled over to the side of the road and got out to check on the motorcyclist, Kosinski said.

Assured that she was alright, he then got back into his car and drove away, the captain said - even as police, fire and ambulance units were all converging on the scene.

From other people who stopped to help the rider, police got a general description of the car as "perhaps an older model Cadillac," Kosinski said, adding that police are anxious to talk to the driver.

The motorcyclist declined medical attention and appeared to have suffered "only very minor scratches and bruises" in the incident, which remains under investigation, Kosinski said. Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call Cromwell Police at (860) 635-2256.

Yet another crash happened at the intersection of Ridge and Mill streets in Middletown at around the same time. South Fire District officials said there were "minor injuries" and rear-end damage to a Toyota Prius.